Concerns about the health effects from the millions of gallons of Agent Orange sprayed during the Vietnam War continue to grow. Vietnam Veterans exposed to this combination of herbicides may be eligible for health and disability benefits, according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Agent Orange is a mix of herbicides the U.S. military deliberately sprayed from 1962 to 1972 during Operation Ranch Hand in the Vietnam War in an effort to take out trees and dense tropical plants which provided enemy cover. Among the more than 19 million gallons of combined herbicides sprayed, Agent Orange was the combination used most often by the U.S. military. Vietnam Veterans and other U.S. Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service may be eligible for:
- Agent Orange Registry health exam: a free exam for possible long-term health problems related to herbicide exposure. Veterans who served in areas where Agent Orange was sprayed may be eligible. Heavily sprayed areas include forests near the demarcation zone, forests at the junction of the borders of Cambodia, Laos, and South Vietnam, and mangroves on the southernmost peninsula of Vietnam, and along shipping channels southeast of Saigon.
- Health care benefits: a full range of medical benefits.
- Disability compensation: monthly payments for diseases related to Agent Orange exposure. Veterans with qualifying service in Vietnam or the Korean demilitarized zone are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. Other Veterans may be eligible if they show on a factual basis that they were exposed.
- If you believe you were improperly denied disability compensation benefits, contact us for a free appraisal.
Veterans may also be eligible for other VA programs and services, including education, home loans, and vocational rehabilitation. Read Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors to learn more. Those Veterans who served aboard this list of ships during the Vietnam War and suffered due to Agent Orange exposure may be entitled to these benefits as well. To learn more about the benefits you can receive as a U.S. Veteran, please visit http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/index.asp